The present invention relates to a communication system and a method for the real time transmission of audio data signals from an aircraft cockpit to a ground station for recording the data.
Each aircraft comprises a CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder: cockpit conversations recorder) recorder which records the sounds in the cockpit namely the conversations between the pilots inside the cockpit (pilot/co-pilot/third occupant), the background noise of the cockpit (alarm sounds for example), as well as the conversations the pilots have with an entity outside of the aircraft (ATC air traffic control, ground mechanics, etc.).
With the objective of improved management of the monitoring of communications in aircraft, it is envisaged to send, via satellite communication, the data relative to the sounds in the cockpit to a ground station which would record them, in addition to the storage of these data in the CVR recorder onboard the aircraft.
The data rate required for the transmission of the audio data is high whereas the bandwidth of the satellite link between the aircraft and the ground station is limited. Because of this, the transmission to the ground station of the data recorded by the CVR recorder gives rise to a technical problem. One of the objectives of the invention is to totally or partially eliminate this disadvantage.